Labeling machine

ABSTRACT

The labeling machine and method are for attaching brochures or similar materials to containers, such as bottles. The machine is provided with an improved container supporting member which automatically deposits a measured amount of glue or adhesive to an unlabeled portion of the container, so that a brochure or similar article may be placed in contact with said glue or adhesive and thereby attached to the container.

United States Patent Maniaci [54] LABELING MACHINE [72] Inventor:Theodore Maniaci, Milwaukee, Wis.

[73] Assignee: Colgate-Palmolive Company, New York,

[22] Filed: Jan. 14, 1970 [21] Appl.No.: 2,733

[52] US. Cl ..156/556, 156/278, 156/357, 118/3 [51] Int.Cl ..B05c11/10,B32b31/12 [58] Field ofSearch 156/278, 295, 356, 357, 364,156/390, 556; 101/327, 368; 118/3, 410, 411;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,875,301 8/1932 Fredsell..156/364 Feb. 15, 1972 Baughan ..l 1 8/3 Kramer et al. 101/327 XPrimary Examiner-Benjamin A. Borchelt Assistant Examiner-James M, HanleyAttorney- 1. F. Kryshak and M. L. Youngs [57] ABSTRACT The labelingmachine and method are for attaching brochures or similar materials tocontainers, such as bottles. The machine is provided with an improvedcontainer supporting member which automatically deposits a measuredamount of glue or adhesive to an unlabeled portion of the container, sothat a brochure or similar article may be placed in contact with saidglue or adhesive and thereby attached to the container.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures LABELING MACHINE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONing machines for attaching adhesive labels to containers, none of themachines are particularly well adapted to aid the attachment of thebrochures or similar type articles to containers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The labeling machine of thepresent invention is provided with an improved container supportingmechanism. More specifically, it is provided with a container supportingmechanism which both supports the container so that an adhesive labelcan be attached thereto and also deposits glue or adhesive upon anunlabeled portion of said container so that a brochure can be attachedto the container. In the preferred practice of thepresent invention, thesupporting member is provided with glue or adhesive dispensing meanswhich deposits a measured amount of glue or adhesive upon an unlabeledface of the container in response to the pressure exerted upon saidcontainer in the attaching of the label. In other words, in response tothe label-attaching mechanism placing and securing a label on one faceof the container, the improved supporting means deposits a measuredamount of glue on another face of the container. A brochure or similararticle can then be pressed into contact with said glue and therebyaffixed to the container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple, improvedsupporting member which can be employed with existing labeling machinesto enable them to be used in the attachment of brochures or similararticles to containers.

It is a further object to provide an improved supporting member withglue-dispensing means which can be incorporated into conventionallabeling machines with a minimum of structural modifications.

These and still further objects of the invention will be more fullyunderstood from the description which follows.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the supporting member of the presentinvention and a container.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the glue dispensing memberof the supporting member.

In FIG. I of the drawing, a preferred embodiment of the invention isshown in which the unlabeled container is positioned upon supportingmember 11 which is provided with a glue-dispensing member 12. Theglue-dispensing member 12 is connected to a pressurized container ofglue (not shown) via the tube 13. The glue-dispensing member 12 isprovided with a pressure responsive plunger 14 which extends above theuppermost surface of the supporting member 11, and an internal valvesystem (shown only in FIG. 2) which is opened by the downward movementof the plunger 14, such as that which occurs when pressure is exertedupon the container 10 in the process of labeling the container. When theplunger 14 is depressed the glue under pressure flows out of saiddispensing member 12 unto that portion of the supported face of thecontainer 11 immediately adjacent the plunger 14.

. When the label has been attached to the container and the downwardforce exerted upon the container by the labeling machine is withdrawn,the internal valve system closes and the glue no longer flows unto thecontainer.

In FIG. 2 the internal valve system of the glue-dispensing member 12 canbe seen. The glue-dispensing member 12 comprises a cylindrical member15, which is closed at one end 16 and provided at the other end with anend wall 17 which is provided with a relatively large central aperture18 and several small, peripherally located apertures 19. Locatedadjacent the closed wall 16 of cylindrical member is a side inlet port20 which communicates with the glue-transporting tube 13. Positionedwithin the cylindrical member 15 and resting on inner surface of theclosed wall 16 is the ball member 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the springmember 22 is partially compressed and positioned between the ball member21 and the plunger member 14 which is positioned adjacent the end wall17 of said cylindrical member 15.

As seen in FIG. 2, the plunger member 14 is provided with both aflangelike base member 23, which is circular in shape, and an upwardlyextending elongated, plunger tip member 14a which is provided with apoint 14b. The circular base member 23 is of slightly lesser diameterthan the interior of the cylindrical member 15 but of sufficiently largediameter to completely close off the peripherally located apertures 19in the end wall 17 from communication with the interior cavity of thecylindrical member 15 when said base member is by the compressive forceof the spring member 22 pressed into close contact with the innersurface of end wall 17. The upwardly extending elongated plunger tipmember 14a is of only slightly lesser cross-sectional diameter than thecentral aperture 18, so that when the uppermost surface of the base 23is in contact with the inner surface of end wall 17 the member 14aextends through the aperture 18 and above the outer surface of end wall17. When the plunger 14 is depressed, as shown in FIG. 2, the uppermostsurface of the base member 23 is moved downwardly thus exposing theapertures 19, and the glue under pressure flows through the tube 13 intothe internal cavity of the cylinder 15, around and about the ball 21,the spring 22, the flangelike base 23, and through the apertures 19 andonto that portion of the surface of the container 10 which is adjacentto and located about the plunger tip point 14b. Upon release of theforce exerted upon the container and the plunger member 14, the spring22 forces the elongated plunger tip member 14a upwardly through thecentral aper ture 18 so that the uppermost surface of the base member 23is against the inner end wall 17 and closes off the apertures 19 so thatthe flow of glue stops. The container 10, with a deposit of glue on itsformerly supported face, is then removed, automatically or manually, anda brochure or similar article affixed to container by simply pressing itinto contact with the deposit of glue. The glue or adhesive, which ispreferably of the quickdrying type, secures the brochure to thecontainer. The entire operation is then repeated.

In the preferred practice of the invention, the cylindrical member 15 isformed of two or more threaded pieces which can be both readilyassembled to form an integral unit and disassembled for cleaningpurposes.

The glue-dispensing member 12 preferably should be pressure responsiveand yet sufficiently insensitive so that the weight of the containeralone will not depress the plunger 14 and actuate the glue dispensingsystem. A variety of commercially available devices of the type whichare commonly known as spot tips may be employed. Spot tips of the typedescribed and shown in the drawings will operate satisfactorily atspeeds up to 200 independent glue depositions per minute. Spot tips canbe obtained which apply a'ring, square or rectangular pattern of glue.Preferably, the spot tip is of the size which deposits a spot of glueone-half inch in diameter upon the container.

Any suitable free flowing, fast drying glue or adhesive may be employed.Preferably the glue is delivered to the gluedispensing member undersufficient pressure to insure that an adequate amount of glue isdeposited on the container on each depression of the plunger even when athe plunger tip is depressed as often as 200 times a minute.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the describedimproved supporting member may be employed with almost any type oflabeling machine and may be used to deposit glue or adhesive upon a widevariety of various shaped containers, such as bottles, cans or cartons.It also will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that anumber of variations and changes may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

I claim:

l. A container-supporting member for a labeling machine which comprisesa container-receiving member adapted to receive and support a containerso that a label can be attached to one part thereof, saidcontainer-receiving member being provided with an automaticglue-dispensing means which is activated by a force greater than thatexerted by the weight of the container to deposit glue upon a secondpart of the container.

2. A container-supporting member of claim 1 in which the glue-dispensingmeans comprises a pressure-activated support

1. A container-supporting member for a labeling machine which comprisesa container-receiving member adapted to receive and support a containerso that a label can be attached to one part thereof, saidcontainer-receiving member being provided with an automaticglue-dispensing means which is activated by a force greater than thatexerted by the weight of the container to deposit glue upon a secondpart of the container.
 2. A container-supporting member of claim 1 inwhich the glue-dispensing means comprises a pressure-activated supporttip.
 3. A container-supporting member for a labeling machine whichcomprises a container-receiving member adapted to receive and support acontainer so that a label can be attached thereto, saidcontainer-receiving member being provided with an automaticglue-dispensing means which is so constructed so that it supports theweight of the container and is activated by a force greater than thatexerted by the weight of the container to deposit glue upon the surfaceof said container.